6 incredible new hotels that deserve all the hype

Jetsetter
Each new season brings with it a slew of hotel openings around the world in places both near and far-flung, but only a select few stand out from the rest. Here are 6 new hotels we can't wait to check in to.

The Watergate Hotel, Washington D.C.

Jetsetter

Can scandal be sexy? Yes — if you're talking about the new-and-improved Watergate Hotel, ground zero for one of America's biggest political stories in modern history which just reopened to the tune of $125 million. While Italian architect Luigi Moretti's curvaceous, no-corner exterior was left untouched, the same can't be said of the inside, where a top-to-toe renovation harkens back to the building's 1960s origins. The 336 rooms (most of which overlook the Potomac River) have taken on a glamorous midcentury-mod feel, new staff uniforms have been designed by Mad Men
costumer Janie Bryant, and the Next Whisky bar, with its amber-lit wall of 2,500 whisky bottles, is the stuff of Don Draper's dreams. "No need to break in" reads the guest room keycards — though you can't get us in here soon enough.

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The Asbury, New Jersey

April Ellis

It seems everyone this summer is talking about Asbury Park, a formerly dilapidated Jersey Shore resort town that's now on the up and up. Case in point: a former Salvation Army building has been transformed into The Asbury, the area's first hotel in more than 50 years. Just two blocks from the boardwalk, it's a spot for basically everyone — business suits, local artists, young socialites — thanks to Instagram-worthy nooks at every turn, two
rooftop hangouts that host regular movie screenings and sunrise yoga classes, and an eclectic lineup of daily musical acts in the lobby bar — no doubt inspired by the neighborhood's rock-n-roll past. (This is, after all, the hometown of Bruce Springsteen.) A grab-and-go kitchen takes the place of any full-service restaurant, forcing guests to get out and explore.

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Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, Hawaii

Christian Horan, Four Seasons

Hawaii's most anticipated opening this year does not disappoint. On Oahu's west coast, the newly branded Four Seasons has replaced a former JW Marriott, doling out a whopping $500 million to rethink the floor plan and bring in those didn't-know-you-couldn't-live-without-em extras including a 75-foot yacht, a helicopter, and a fleet of BMW convertibles. The 358 newly spacious, brightly lit rooms and suites are sophisticated visions of Hawaiiana — banana-leaf wall coverings, lanais — while fun-filled afternoons for all ages can involve any combination of the property's four pools, five restaurants, golf club, and spa (which comes with a lap pool of its own). ' Ko olina
,' in Hawaiian, means "place of joy." Families, couples, and even staycationers are sure to find it here.

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Mar Adentro, Mexico

Jetsetter

We've lost count of how many new and improved properties have risen up along Cabo's shores — each like a phoenix from the ashes left by devastating Hurricane Odile. The latest from Mexican architect Miguel Ángel might be our newest favorite: all clean lines and muted colors, this whitewashed modular retreat provides a blank canvas for "hyper-customization," a hands-off hospitality approach that allows guests to tailor every detail — controlling room lighting and temperature, ordering room service, operating curtains — all from an in-room tablet. After walking the property's faux canals and checking out its private cinema and public art, head to the alfresco sushi restaurant, cocooned by a giant nest of woven twigs.

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Explora Valle Sagrado, Peru

Jetsetter

Adding to its portfolio of luxurious, remote properties scattered throughout Chile, the all-inclusive explora brand has broken ground in Peru. An hour from Cusco, high in the Sacred Valley, Explora Valle Sagrado is an adventure-junkie's dream: all 50 guest rooms, which look out onto the cornfields of Urubamba Valley and the Andean Highlands, are blissfully free of WiFi, TVs, or minibars, while daylight hours are spent off property on eye-opening excursions (by foot, bike, or van) led by a team of explorers. But that's not to say there isn't more to be discovered back home. The hotel itself features painstakingly preserved Inca platforms that were found during its construction, while a nearby 17th-century bath house once belonging to Inca noble Mateo Pumacahua debuts in October.

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Ritz Paris, France

Vincent Leroux

After much ado, the Ritz Paris has finally reopened its doors. Four years and $200 million later, the additions are expectedly exciting: there's now a Versailles-style garden, a subterranean ballroom, and the world's first Chanel spa (just think
of the blissful facials). Thankfully, much of the romance once possessed by the former Coco Chanel home — the red carpet entrance, original furniture, the iconic Bar Hemingway — remains relatively untouched, ensuring its glamorous, spirited past lives on.